BackDrops Views Lego Megabloks Puzz3D Compilers MUD

January 10, 1999

Here are some pictures that I took on January 10, 1999. They are all 640x480. All were taken with my Fujifilm MX-700 digital camera. By this time there had been quite a bit of snow, with almost 18" sitting on the ground. Unlike the east coast of Canada, and the north-eastern United States, most of the snow we get here tends to stay around until spring. Who knows how much we'll have by then, since this is the "La Nina" year, where it is supposed to be cold and snowy. As these pictures show, the snowy bit is certainly true. The temperature was a bit below average at -16C or so, but certainly not bad. These pictures are all somewhat dim, since it was still cloudy out. It does tend to be cloudy when it is doing a lot of snowing!

Here is the view from my living-room window. Where I went on the walk is off in the distance there, to the left. The building on the left is the ritzy one mentioned later.

This little guy is a short (2 foot?) spruce tree I found just beside the Queen Elizabeth swimming pool. And yes, the pool is not in use at this time of the year!

Just above him were some bigger trees. These were the first really snowy ones on the walk. More later!

Just past the pool I took this shot of some poplars all covered in snow. A bit too far away, I think.

This shot shows the entrance to the east part of Queen Elizabeth Park, including the bike path I am walking down.

Just before leaving the east end of the park, I saw this small Mountain Ash tree, with heaps of snow on top of the berry clusters. The heaps are 2 - 3 inches high.

Just leaving the park area, and heading along the bike path.

Off to the right of the path, this little spruce tree looks almost buried in the snow.

Now I'm off of the bike path and onto the small hiking trail that leads off from it. Much less foot traffic here, but still some bikes (who ignore the no-bikes sign, grrr).

Off to the side of the trail are some bushes almost swallowed up by snow.

Even the skinny trees are not immune to the snow. At this point there hadn't been much wind since overnight, so quite unstable heaps are still present. Towards the end of my walk of about an hour, some wind gusts had come up and knocked some bits off.

Here is a better view of the hiking trail. If you step off of the center rut, you'll be up to your calves in snow before you stop. Digging down with your foot will get you almost to your knee.

Off to the side of the trail in some thickish bush are more skinny trees - not as skinny as the previous set, however.

A bit further on, there is a nice view down the trail.

About there I heard some squawking, and looked up and saw a Magpie sitting in a tree. It's unlikey you'll see it, but it is there, almost dead center in the picture - look for his round body.

Later, there were a couple of poplars (aspens?) that are leaning a bit, so have collected snow on their sides.

Then, I had to go uphill on the trail a bit.

Just to the side there, are a couple more nearly buried small spruce trees.

Then, I decide it was time to take a bigger picture, suitable for a backdrop. This is a 1280x1024 (600K) image, looking further along the trail.

About then I turned off of the main trail and headed back along a small side trail.

From the side trail, looking back towards the main trail (over there somewhere!) you can see that we are indeed in the middle of a city. The buildings are on the other side of the river from where I was. Looking at the picture now, I *think* the taller brown one is where I used to work a few years back, when Myrias used to make their own hardware.

Here is a brighter view along the side trail. That's where I was heading, and the bottom of the rut in the trail has about 4 inches of fresh powdery snow in it.

Along the side trail still, I got this nice picture of a large bush with its branches all heaped with snow.

Turning the other way at the same spot, we see typical scenery - a vertical trunk pastered with snow, some smaller bushes, and spruces in the background.

And here are yet more small bushes with lots of snow on them. Are you bored yet? You should be!

Here is a single small tree that is quite snow covered as usual, but may well be quite dead!

Look up! Look waaaay up! Here are some interesting branches, viewed against the cloudy sky.

Another side trail view shows some very white thick bush.

Squatting down shows a more intimate view.

Up on a crest on the side trail (one of my favorite spots on it), is a cluster of old birches and spruces. Compare them to 3 weeks earlier.

Turing around from there is yet another small evergreen almost buried.

Still along the side trail, here is a closer shot of some small trees.

Followed by some very bent skinny trees. The snow on that one branch looks like it should have fallen off a while ago!

Here is where some snow *has* fallen off, and you can see a building in the upper background. That's 9929 Saskatchewan drive, which I'm told is one of the ritzier joints around this part of the city. I've never been in it, so I can't judge. I don't think I'd want a unit there, however, since, as you can see, they chose not to build balconies overlooking the riverside view. Strange!

Here is a strange one - looks a bit like a totem pole to me!

Here is another mixed shot - a leaner, some small bushes and some larger evergreens.

Now we have a sequence of 3 shots, looking the same direction from the same place, but going upwards in angle. First, the low bushes.

Then the middle view.

Finally the high view.

Looking back, sort of the way I came on the side trail, there is a real tangle of small stuff in the foreground.

Now, up on the top of a small slope, before hitting the stairs up to the road, there is a hollow hidden behing a screen of spruce trees. I always thought it would make a good den for something, although it isn't really hidden as well as it looks here. There was a set of tracks going down into it and back out, and this *is* only about 40 feet from where I was standing when I saw a coyote on a previous walk. For comparison, here is a picture from about 3 weeks earlier.

Looking past the hollow (on the left), towards where another small trail joins on, and the combined result starts to head uphill towards the stairs.

I wanted to get some colour in this set of pictures, so as I approached the end of the back alley (not really noticeable in the previous shot), I turned and took a picture of an old garage on the last lot. There are some bright orange reflectors on the posts marking the end of the alley, but they are barely visible.

Turning right even more, you can sort-of see some houses, and a group of the posts with reflectors.

After climbing the stairs and going a bit along Saskatchewan Drive, I needed a place to sit down. Hmm, perhaps not here!

Up Home

	Here is the view from my living-room window. Where I went on the walk is off in the distance there, to the left. The building on the left is the ritzy one mentioned later.
	This little guy is a short (2 foot?) spruce tree I found just beside the Queen Elizabeth swimming pool. And yes, the pool is not in use at this time of the year!
	Just above him were some bigger trees. These were the first really snowy ones on the walk. More later!
	Just past the pool I took this shot of some poplars all covered in snow. A bit too far away, I think.
	This shot shows the entrance to the east part of Queen Elizabeth Park, including the bike path I am walking down.
	Just before leaving the east end of the park, I saw this small Mountain Ash tree, with heaps of snow on top of the berry clusters. The heaps are 2 - 3 inches high.
	Just leaving the park area, and heading along the bike path.
	Off to the right of the path, this little spruce tree looks almost buried in the snow.
	Now I'm off of the bike path and onto the small hiking trail that leads off from it. Much less foot traffic here, but still some bikes (who ignore the no-bikes sign, grrr).
	Off to the side of the trail are some bushes almost swallowed up by snow.
	Even the skinny trees are not immune to the snow. At this point there hadn't been much wind since overnight, so quite unstable heaps are still present. Towards the end of my walk of about an hour, some wind gusts had come up and knocked some bits off.
	Here is a better view of the hiking trail. If you step off of the center rut, you'll be up to your calves in snow before you stop. Digging down with your foot will get you almost to your knee.
	Off to the side of the trail in some thickish bush are more skinny trees - not as skinny as the previous set, however.
	A bit further on, there is a nice view down the trail.
	About there I heard some squawking, and looked up and saw a Magpie sitting in a tree. It's unlikey you'll see it, but it is there, almost dead center in the picture - look for his round body.
	Later, there were a couple of poplars (aspens?) that are leaning a bit, so have collected snow on their sides.
	Then, I had to go uphill on the trail a bit.
	Just to the side there, are a couple more nearly buried small spruce trees.
	Then, I decide it was time to take a bigger picture, suitable for a backdrop. This is a 1280x1024 (600K) image, looking further along the trail.
	About then I turned off of the main trail and headed back along a small side trail.
	From the side trail, looking back towards the main trail (over there somewhere!) you can see that we are indeed in the middle of a city. The buildings are on the other side of the river from where I was. Looking at the picture now, I think the taller brown one is where I used to work a few years back, when Myrias used to make their own hardware.
	Here is a brighter view along the side trail. That's where I was heading, and the bottom of the rut in the trail has about 4 inches of fresh powdery snow in it.
	Along the side trail still, I got this nice picture of a large bush with its branches all heaped with snow.
	Turning the other way at the same spot, we see typical scenery - a vertical trunk pastered with snow, some smaller bushes, and spruces in the background.
	And here are yet more small bushes with lots of snow on them. Are you bored yet? You should be!
	Here is a single small tree that is quite snow covered as usual, but may well be quite dead!
	Look up! Look waaaay up! Here are some interesting branches, viewed against the cloudy sky.
	Another side trail view shows some very white thick bush.
	Squatting down shows a more intimate view.
	Up on a crest on the side trail (one of my favorite spots on it), is a cluster of old birches and spruces. Compare them to 3 weeks earlier.
	Turing around from there is yet another small evergreen almost buried.
	Still along the side trail, here is a closer shot of some small trees.
	Followed by some very bent skinny trees. The snow on that one branch looks like it should have fallen off a while ago!
	Here is where some snow has fallen off, and you can see a building in the upper background. That's 9929 Saskatchewan drive, which I'm told is one of the ritzier joints around this part of the city. I've never been in it, so I can't judge. I don't think I'd want a unit there, however, since, as you can see, they chose not to build balconies overlooking the riverside view. Strange!
	Here is a strange one - looks a bit like a totem pole to me!
	Here is another mixed shot - a leaner, some small bushes and some larger evergreens.
	Now we have a sequence of 3 shots, looking the same direction from the same place, but going upwards in angle. First, the low bushes.
	Then the middle view.
	Finally the high view.
	Looking back, sort of the way I came on the side trail, there is a real tangle of small stuff in the foreground.
	Now, up on the top of a small slope, before hitting the stairs up to the road, there is a hollow hidden behing a screen of spruce trees. I always thought it would make a good den for something, although it isn't really hidden as well as it looks here. There was a set of tracks going down into it and back out, and this is only about 40 feet from where I was standing when I saw a coyote on a previous walk. For comparison, here is a picture from about 3 weeks earlier.
	Looking past the hollow (on the left), towards where another small trail joins on, and the combined result starts to head uphill towards the stairs.
	I wanted to get some colour in this set of pictures, so as I approached the end of the back alley (not really noticeable in the previous shot), I turned and took a picture of an old garage on the last lot. There are some bright orange reflectors on the posts marking the end of the alley, but they are barely visible.
	Turning right even more, you can sort-of see some houses, and a group of the posts with reflectors.
	After climbing the stairs and going a bit along Saskatchewan Drive, I needed a place to sit down. Hmm, perhaps not here!